BIOS10117 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Overgrazing, Species Richness, Lyme Disease
22 Jan 2016
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Document Summary
Most common vector borne disease in the us. Transmitted by ticks (generalists- feed on variety of hosts) White footed mouse is primary reservoir of the disease. Found in degraded habitats--> habitats with low species richness (degraded habitats) have white footed mice. Habitats with high species richness have white footed mice and many other species that are not good reservoirs for lyme disease. If habitat can support more species then prevalence will go down. If have biodiverse habitat, ticks can feed off other things than just mice so o o it will make it more likely. Cedar creek where have different plots of land and control how many species are in each in drought one o o o. Having more species may be better bc could have some that are likely to do well. Higher rates of decomposition in plots with more species, so those resources and nutrients will be available to plants sooner therefore more plant productivity.
